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Staying near Río Lagartos used to be a problem, so this new hotel is a welcome arrival. The water-side restaurant is a great place to lounge, and all the spacious rooms have a sitting area.

The 300-room Ibero-star, opened in 1999, is well located for snorkeling and diving in the south-west corner of the island, near Punta Francesa, and faces an especially fine beach. Like the Tucán, it offers a big range of activities.

One of the biggest and most amply equipped of the Playacar resorts, especially well-organized for families, with a lot of kids’ activities and entertainments. Rooms are in modern-hotel style, but bright and spacious.

The newest big hotel in Cancún is next door to the same company’s slightly older Casa Magna. Expect state-of-the-art facilities, from the lavish health spa to the multitude of electronic accessories in the rooms.

Restoring old buildings is now in vogue in Mérida, and this grand 17th-century house has been expensively converted with a mix of antiques and all-modern bathrooms, a pool and other services. Some rooms have a real Spanish-mansion air; others are less exciting, and prices vary accordingly.

The rambling house was once part of a convent but is now an urban retreat with modern apartments and small pool, at generous prices. Activities and health therapies can be arranged.

Izamal is a tranquil town in any case, but the walled garden that contains this B&B, run by the same owners as Hacienda San Antonio Chalanté, is especially soothing. Little bungalows are dotted about the garden, each imaginatively decorated; one has a kitchen.

This enjoyable place has 12 rooms, from bargain doubles with balconies to lovely, self-contained beach villas. There’s a pool and a fun restaurant.

The Riviera’s most opulent retreat is frequented by celebrities attracted to its 80 hectares (200 acres) of lush jungle and vast stretch of private beach. Rooms are truly vast, and there’s a superb pool and a refined restaurant. Honeymooners and beauty-therapy addicts are well catered for.